Cebu Pacific should be punished, says solon

By: Bong Lozada - 10 years ago

Airport chaos was “unprecedented.” CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SAM AUDREY PAJARILLO

MANILA, Philippines—A legislator on Sunday said that the refund offered by Cebu Pacific Air is not enough and that the airline company should be punished for the Christmas farce that happened at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3.

In a statement, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said that Cebu Pacific Air should be sanctioned “for their dismal service.”

“The refund is not enough, this is just their way to quiet the erring passengers,” Colmenares said. “What should be done is to punish the airlines that failed.”

Cebu Pacific Air on Saturday posted on its Facebook page saying passengers with flights connecting or originating from Manila between Dec. 23, 2014, and Jan. 5, 2015, who were unable to check-in for their flights or have been tagged as “no-shows,” may avail of a “full refund, full travel refund” or “rebooking of flights up to 30 days from original departure date” without additional charge.

Colmenares also decried air carriers for excessive fares, delays and dismal service and called for an investigation of airline companies and the Civil Aeronautics Board “for failing to protect airline passengers.”

“I wished that Congress then already called for a probe but that did not happen, so I will file a resolution when Congress opens on Jan. 5 for the probe to immediately take place,” Colmenares said. “While it is good that the CAB will already start their investigation to get to some of the details of the continued inconvenience of airline passengers, I think that the CAB should also be probed for not doing its duty to regulate these airlines and protect airline passengers.”

He added that the resolution targeting Cebu Pacific Air would probe cancelled flights, expensive rebooking fees and penalties, and “deceptively low initial fare base” that eventually “shoots up due to big tax and surcharges.”

“They also charge passengers with a Web administration fee that is ridiculous,” Colmenares said.

Also, the Bayan Muna representative said that Cebu Pacific Air “in many instances” does not use the passenger tube making it difficult for the elderly and sick as they have to go down to the tarmac instead of going straight to the terminal.

He added that airline fare should also go down as the decrease in oil prices prompted public transport groups to lower their fares.